MENG Model Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger [WIP - Spare tracks for placement on the tank turret]

My research on how to accurately portray the spare tank tracks on a King Tiger turret led me to two main color schemes. Most modelers tend to paint the spare tracks as heavily rusted pieces. But I've noticed schemes in which the spare tracks had camouflage pattern painted over them. An excerpt of color images available online from an excellent book titled SuperKing, Building Trumpeter's 1:16th Scale King Tiger as well as a few black and white historical images of Tank No.124 of the Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505 showed its spare tracks to be somewhere in between.

Meng Model King Tiger (Henschel Turret) work-in-progress: Spare tank tracks for placement on the turret

Note the spare tank tracks on the turret of Tank No.124 of the Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505

Superking, Building Trumpeter's 1:16th Scale King Tiger by David Parker

 
To obtain the specific look as achieved by expert modeler David Parker on the King Tiger No.124 (see above) I decided to weather the tracks using the chipping fluid method. For this purpose, I used the AK Interactive Worn Effects acrylic chipping fluid. Prior to paint-chipping via this method, the tracks had to be prepped first (Steps 01 to 04). After the prerequisite primer coat, a basecoat mixture comprising Mr.Color Mahogany and Mr.Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black at a ratio of roughly 19:1 was applied to the tracks. This was followed by an uneven layer of AK Interactive Track Primer in order to lighten the colors. Lastly a clear matte coat was applied to form a protective layer.      

Step 01: Prepare the spare tank tracks for painting by spraying them with the Tamiya Fine Surface Primer (Light Gray)

Step 02: Basecoat the tracks with a paint mixture comprising Mr.Color Mahogany and Mr.Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black 

Step 03: Airbrush an uneven layer of AK interactive Track Primer to lighten the basecoat hue

Step 04: Spray a protective matte clear coat, in this case the water-based Mr.Hobby Top Coat

Once the protective clear coat had dried overnight, I proceeded to airbrush a few layers of the AK Interactive Worn Effects fluid onto the tracks - allowing each layer to dry before starting on the next. It is said the more layers of Worn Effects you pile on, the larger the resulting paint chips. While I can't attest to how accurate this is without first doing control tests, I decided to take it at face value and sprayed on a few layers in the hope of getting reasonably sized paint chips. And when the chipping fluid was dry to the touch, it was time for the main camouflage hue i.e. German WW2 dunkelgelb. 

Step 05: Airbrush AK Interactive Worn Effects acrylic chipping fluid on the tracks - more layers equal larger chips

Step 06: When the chipping medium is dry to the touch, airbrush the tracks with Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow

Step 07: Once the dark yellow acrylic coat is dry, moisten areas you wish to chip and use a brush to remove the paint

Having access to an airbrush system is critical to the chipping fluid method. Previously I had tried using a hand brush to apply the paint color that follows after the chipping fluid layer to mixed results. Personally, I feel the method works best with an airbrush. Once the Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow was dry to the touch, I moistened areas that I wish to have paint chip from the tracks and started rubbing at it with an old paint brush. During this step, I was careful to not rub too vigorously so as to be in better control of how much paint I was actually chipping from the tracks.

Results: Paint chipping effects using the AK Interactive Worn Effects acrylic fluid

Despite decent paint-chipping results, more weathering awaits the spare tank tracks when they are eventually placed on the King Tiger turret. For one, the tracks will likely receive dust hues. In addition, they may also get dirt or rust streaks depending on how I want the final look to be. Meanwhile, I will be attempting even more paint-chipping but of a different kind on a different area. So next up is micro paint-chipping on non-zimmerit, exposed surfaces of the King Tiger. This technique entails adding chipping effects with a fine brush. That's the next step. For now it's goodbye.